Journey of Hope - Zelda Slabber
Recently Team Talk chatted to Zelda and asked her to share her journey and her passion for God with our readers.
Zelda is a remarkable woman of God with such tenderness and love towards others. With a humble heart and spirit, she is always willing to share her love for God and meet others where they are.
This is her journey of hope….
“When I started to think about my life, I realised how good it will be for everyone to reflect on one’s journey. All of us have a story to tell and when reflecting on life, you realise that in spite of all the hurt, pain and disappointments you might have encountered in life, God worked ALL things together for good because HE remains good all the time.
My name is Zelda Slabber and my journey began on 4 February 1968. I was born on my mother’s birthday. She was born on her father’s birthday and my grandfather had a twin brother. So needless to say that 4 February was an important day in our family and I always jokingly said I must have been the biggest present wrapped in love. My mom always replied that all she could remember was that I had an enormous head! 😊
My precious mom passed away 7 years ago and birthdays are very different since then. The worth of family cannot be measured - treasure it at all times. I am single and have never been married. I have made many jokes about my ‘ knight in shining armour’ falling off his horse near Cradock. Being single was one of those things that I had to work through, but it has it’s perks as well. I work at Nelson Mandela University and this year marks my 30th year at the institution. I lead a wonderful team and I believe it is important that we bloom where God plants us and that we shine His Light wherever we go. All of us are born with a purpose and a God-given plan.
When we discover the ‘why I am here?’ question, life (and everything that goes with it), makes so much more sense. My journey is a message of HOPE, solely because of the message of the Cross - There is wonderworking Power in the Blood of the Lamb! My life and childhood have not been without heartache and failures, but I am a living testimony of His perfect restoration and healing. The JOY that He gives – the world simply cannot give and the world cannot take it away either! I gave my life to Jesus when I was 15 years old and He changed my life up to this very day. He is the Potter and we are the clay and He is still busy with this clay.
I still remember the day I heeded to the altar call and I collided with His unconditional love. When my scars touched His, I was instantly reborn and Jesus became my passion. I made many mistakes along the way, but His banner over. me was always LOVE. The most. important decision in all of our lives is when you commit your life to God and accept His Son as Lord and Saviour of your life. The Word transformed me over the years and I can truly testify that His Word is indeed a double-edged Sword and it cuts deep, and the more we look into the mirror of His Word, the more the Holy Spirit comes and brings the letter to life and we are changed from glory to glory. I discovered many of my passions after being born again.
All of us are born with a purpose and a plan. He foreknew each one of us and we are fearfully and wonderfully made – with unique gifts and talents. I wish I discovered mine sooner in life but I now strive to live with purpose and honour Him above all. I was born to encourage and to LOVE like Jesus and only He can place that love in your heart. To love people is not always easy but the world will only know that we belong to Him if we love one another (and others too). In 1998, I had my first pilgrimage to Israel.
When I stepped on the soil of the holy land, something in me changed and I have been on 7 trips after that. It became one of my passions. People often ask why do you go to the same place over and over again – there are so many other beautiful places in the world? That is indeed true and I also want to experience many other places, BUT when you visit Israel it is more than just a sightseeing tour, it is a spiritual pilgrimage and Godly encounter.
Each and every time, God does something new and spectacular – it is never the same and there is no. city in the world like Jerusalem. You read the Bible with different eyes when you have visited Israel. There are so many special sites – far too many to mention. Some of my favourites are Jerusalem and to walk down the Via Dolorosa, the Garden of Gethsemane, Shilo, sailing on the Sea of Galilee. I have to mention Israel when I reflect on what God has done in my life, because He has done extraordinary things in my life while visiting Israel.
I will also never go with anyone but Pastor Louwtjie and Renee Kilian as tour leaders. Their hearts are for Israel and after so many tours (over 40 if I remember correctly) their knowledge and experience of the land and its people cannot be bought with money. What I love most is Pastor Louwtjie’s biblical knowledge and how he shares God-given revelations at various sites, especially his knowledge about the end-times, Biblical prophecy and the role of Israel therein.
I remember the year my mom passed away. She passed away in January and I went on a tour to Israel in May. My heart felt heavy, but I could feel His LOVE so tangibly and had a supernatural experience at the western wall that year. I have never experienced a cloud of God’s glory like that before. It felt as if He had a special appointment with me that day and I can testify that he still heals the broken-hearted and restores HOPE. He touched me in a special way that day and it felt as if the Holy Spirit lifted me into a supernatural realm where He could fill me with a PEACE beyond comprehension.
This is but one of the many testimonies I experienced during my visits to Israel. A friend and I were invited to testify about our trip to Israel on a radio programme hosted by the late pastor Rykie Steyn in 1998. Just like I felt at home when I stepped unto the soil of Israel, I felt that same feeling and ‘knowing’ that I stepped into part of my purpose when I got behind the microphone at a radio-station. Radio became part of my ministry and passion, and I feel truly humbled to be able to share the gospel and encouragement from the Word over the airwaves.
I have been involved with different community radio stations for the last 26 years. There are so many marvellous testimonies of what God did (and still does) through radio ministry. All GLORY belongs to Him alone. God-willing I will take this one step further this year, as God laid it on my heart to encourage and minister His Word through a daily podcast. It has been on my heart to do this for some time and I believe whatever God lays on our hearts to do, we better do fast because very soon Jesus will come fetch His Bride (no doubt about that!)
In conclusion, I want to say God does not look for ability but for availability. He is the One who enables us to fulfil our purpose. Perhaps you have not been living your purpose, because you do not feel good enough. Feeling is not fact!
You are more than enough. Do not allow the enemy’s lies withhold you from what God ordained you to be. Let us live our purpose and shine His Light and LOVE wherever we go. We have HOPE because of JESUS, our Living Hope.”
Team Talk would like to thank Zelda for sharing her journey of hope with us. We wish her all the love and success in whatever God calls her to do. For we know that she will graduate this life with honors to the Glory of God.
My journey of hope
